In Reply to: anyone lived in bali posted by AussieAngel on Thursday, 25. November 2004 at 14:25 Bali Time:
But it was before the $25 US Visa.
I have family in Singapore & Malaysia so I used to visit them when I needed a new visa stamp.
I had saved hard & basically ran tours for the American Navy, Army, soldiers, also the Brazil soldiers & Aust Soldiers..
It was very easy to make plenty of cash as they had heaps & just needed to party & unload some cash!
It was not a daily thing obviously as they were only around every few months, but more than enough to survive on!
I also helped with Promo of a friends restaurant & leather shop & got commission like the loacls for bringing a tourist or 2!!!
It is not as easy now, at the time I was paying $90 Aus fora 12 month rent of a room, living like a loacl in Kost style.. My room had a dble bed, a mandi type shower, a Western toilet, a hand basin & a cupboard for my clothes.
I bought a kettle, jaffle maker, rice cooker & a fan! I later got a Stereo & a TV! It was small but I lived with about 45 other rooms in Kuta all rented from Locals & Japanese surfers! It was safe, I never had anything stolen, I used to play all day with the young kids & we'd have parties often.
I'd go baxck to Aust & work for 4 months every year & let friends stay in my room! No bills like water, elec, gas etc either so the $90 was a bargain!
I then met my now hubby & we live in Aus as there is no way we could both still live like that, also we both have pretty gopod jobs in Aus now, but we will rewturn once we have set ourselves up here, we will live in his village with his family & that suits us just fine. He will work & I will find something to entertain me..
Basically I agree unless there is something wonderful you can do or offer Bali... You might be better off saving for another holiday..
Last time I was there we asked how much the place I rented would be now & was told $250 Aus per month!!! It's right in Kuta, but that's more than we paid rent on a house here in Aus!!!
Good Luck, it just ain't the same anymore!!!!